FCC Urged to Encourage Diverse Media Ownership, by Copps, Others at Media Reform Conference

The FCC is failing to do enough to encourage diversity in media ownership, said former FCC Commissioner Michael Copps and others at the National Conference for Media Reform Friday, as the FCC released a letter from members of Congress opposing changes to cross-ownership rules. “Minorities own 2.2 percent of full-power TV stations in this country,” said Copps: “How’s that for representing America?”

Last week the FCC released a letter signed by 45 members of Congress to the commission on the lack of diversity in media ownership. Signers included Reps. James Clyburn, D-S.C., and Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y. Clyburn is the father of FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. The letter urged FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski not to relax cross-ownership rules. “We are concerned that already low levels of ownership will be diminished even further by the proposed rule changes,” said the letter. “Further consolidation would harm the entire media system, but have a disproportionate impact on diverse owners and the communities they serve."

In his reply, Genachowski pointed the legislators to a Minority Media and Telecommunications Council study being done on the matter, and said the commission would “proceed with studies to determine whether additional measures can be taken in the next quadrennial review to promote minority ownership."

Copps and Jason Lagria attorney with the Asian American Justice Center said the FCC had consistently delayed studies of diversity problems in broadcasting to avoid having to institute policies to combat it. “The chairman is making the case that diversity of ownership doesn’t matter,” said Joseph Torres of Free Press: “Why do I have to argue that less than 3 percent of minority owned stations is a bad thing?"

Asked by an audience member how the FCC could be changed to fix the problem, Copps said bringing it up to members of Congress would show lawmakers that the public is concerned about the issue. “Maybe the reason the FCC doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do is that not enough people know what the FCC does,” Copps said. “This isn’t just a little backwater agency; it’s making decisions central to the future of democracy.”